Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of funding mechanical thrombectomy for stroke patients.

Thrombectomy is a procedure used to treat some ischaemic stroke patients. There is strong evidence that, when used appropriately, thrombectomy significantly reduces the severity of disability caused by stroke. The expansion of thrombectomy services across England is a multi-year programme within the NHS Long Term Plan. Thrombectomy is currently available in 24 centres in England and two non-neuroscience centres are under development to provide access to thrombectomy.